Still Scary After All These Years

Since my sister Cathy and I are only a few years apart, we often listened to the same music and wore the same clothes. Every Friday nite, my parents would go to their siblings' homes leaving Cathy, Peter and I home alone. Peter, about 10 years younger than Cathy, would be off doing something in his room, building or drawing something, and we'd be listening to music and just hanging out in the bedroom that she and I shared.

One night, we were sitting on the beds, room darkened, candles lit, music a little loud when I thought I heard a creaking noise. I jumped up, turned the music lower and listened carefully. Nothing.

So, we turned the music up and we heard a weird scratching noise. I jumped up from the bed, turned the music off and listened again. Nothing. Then, we both heard it, it sounded like something was scratching at the door to the bedroom. The door was opened just a little bit, so Cathy called out to Peter but didn't hear anything back. Then, a monster hand appeared at the side of the door. It was disgustingly caked with wrinkles and blood dripping from it. We screamed, both jumping onto Cathy's bed, yelling at the tops of our lungs ... and the hand pushed back the door and there was Peter with a flashlight in one hand positioned under his face making it glow and his "monster"  hand was dripping in ketchup and covered in crackers.

I think I beat Peter with my album case that night. Then we spent the rest of the evening cleaning up Peter's monster project in the kitchen and all the ketchup and cracker crumbs smeared along the door and walls.  Even though we were the youngest of the sisters, he still knew exactly how to scare the shit out of us. He found pure joy in doing it ... even when we were older, he loved to hide behind a door and pop out, or make scary noises when walking in the street. He was a lot of fun.

Hope you enjoy our little story - Thanks - Peter's sisters Pam and Cathy.